


lotus petals

by tellmewhatyousee



Series: Writer's Month 2020 [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, F/M, Writer's Month 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25621291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tellmewhatyousee/pseuds/tellmewhatyousee
Summary: Robin didn’t make a habit out of staring at her customers, but she made an exception for this one.Writer's Month Prompt #1: tattoo artist/flower shop AU.
Relationships: Nico Robin/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Writer's Month 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894669
Comments: 10
Kudos: 45
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	lotus petals

Robin didn’t make a habit out of staring at her customers, but she made an exception for this one. She’d seen the man plenty of times before— their businesses were directly next door to each other, after all— but never really up close. He didn’t seem to mind her watching him, far too focused on taking pictures of different flowers around the shop. He didn’t even glance at her for the duration of his visit, and eventually left without a word.

This went on for a few days. It was always the same. Just pictures, no words between them. 

One day, however, the man actually sat down at one of the tables by the window. He pulled a sketchbook out of the backpack he carried in with him, and was very clearly straining to get a good look at a pot of flowers hanging from the ceiling. Robin decided that would be a good enough chance to intervene.

She walked out from behind the counter, reached up to unhook the hanging plant, and set it down on the table in front of him. “If you’d like a closer look at something, you can always ask,” she told him, a warm smile on her face.

The man looked a little surprised by the gesture, but eventually replied with a small nod. “Thank you,” he said. He flipped to a new page in his sketchbook before he leaned back in his seat to get comfortable, now that he could actually see his subject.

While social cues told Robin to leave, she found herself looking down at the man’s hands. She’d noticed the ink there, but had never gotten a chance to really see what it said. “You own the shop next door, don’t you?” she asked. 

“Yes,” the man answered without looking up from his drawing. “I’ve been commissioned to design a floral piece and needed some references. I assumed you wouldn’t mind my presence, so long as I kept quiet and didn’t disturb you.”

Robin hummed. Was he trying to tell her something? Probably. But she didn’t care, she was interested in this man. “I think floral tattoos are beautiful,” she said. “I have some lotus flowers on my back.”

The man looked up, his curiosity apparently getting the best of him. “Yeah?” he asked, “Can I see?”

Robin turned around, and the man stood up so that he could match her height. She swept her hair to the side, glad she wore a tank top today so the tattoo would be visible. It was a large pink lotus flower, surrounded by vines and smaller flowers. She didn’t see it much herself, but she definitely recalled what it looked like.

The man didn’t say anything at first, but a brief glance behind her showed his shocked expression. “What do you think?” she asked.

“It’s beautiful,” the man replied. He lifted a hand, but paused mid-air. “May I?”

Robin raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t as if it had any texture to it, but perhaps he was just a more tactile type of person. “Go ahead.”

His hands were _freezing,_ and he mumbled an apology when he saw her shiver. Still, his touches were gentle as he traced over the design, and once Robin got used to the feeling, she found it quite relaxing.


End file.
